February is Black History Month! We thought we’d celebrate by asking some of our talented Black makers to contribute their thoughts and feelings about Black history. Check out what they have to say, and then go check out their online stores and see what they make!
From Trey and Rosa Culliver at Eden Body Care
"Black History is everything to us, it’s not just one month out of the year where we acknowledge our roots and history. It is literally who we are because it’s a core piece of our lives and it’s embedded into the fabrics of our DNA as BIPOC. Black History means everything to us because it’s our history and makes us who we are. From the great words of Marcus Garvey: “a people without knowledge of their past history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots.”
A lot of our forefathers/mothers had to either pay with their lives or suffer tremendously throughout their lives just because of who they were. Often, we only focus on the heroic figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Harriet Tubman – who were the true visionaries with voices that motivated the community to keep pressing on and be strong through tough times. But let’s not forget all the people that stood behind them, the little people such as ourselves, those who stood up and made that vision come true. An example would be from the movie A Long Walk Home – where an entire town had to boycott the bus system and walk miles to and from work just to stand for what they believed in and to fight for equality.
Despite all this, we have always proven our strength and endurance. We’ve always pushed through the hate and have fought to be the best that we can be and have proven we hold very high standards in what we do and what we believe in. We’ve come a long way and even though the struggles are still present, we hope the love we have for one another trumps the differences that we have amongst each other. We’re proud to see fellow BIPOC businesses succeed and proud to be a part of such a strong community."
Check out Eden Body Care at their website and on Instagram.
From Rachel with SOAPothecary
"It’s important to remember and reflect on what has happened and continues to happen to the Black community— and how these events have shaped society and the Black perspective as a whole. When I first launched my business and began to work on my social media presence, initially, I didn’t want to share a picture of myself fearing that people would unfollow my account or not like my art because I was a person of color. To me, this signifies that society still has a lot of work to do. Nevertheless, Black History Month means continuing to honor the Black community by acknowledging the pain from the past and present trials and tribulations and celebrating the triumphs of all that’s been overcome. It’s a reminder to do better, to be better and to not allow ourselves to go backwards."
Check out SOAPothecary on their website and on Instagram. We also have a Maker of the Month feature for them if you want to read more!
From Chartel with Gold + Water Co.
"The first part of my childhood was spent in a town with very few Black people. I remember that at a young age, I asked my parents to change my name to one that I felt was more socially acceptable. I remember that I would take hair styling into my own hands, thinking that I could simply brush my afro hair behind my ears with my fingers and it would flow in the wind like the girls that I played with at school. I remember trying to see myself in the world around me.
Around 9 years old, my family moved to the mid-Atlantic region, into one of the most affluent Black counties in the country. I remember my first days in school were drastically different from my earlier childhood experiences. The classrooms were abundant with students of many races. I remember being in awe that there were so many of Black people in my community and that there were teachers and scientists and salesmen and businesswomen and opera singers that looked like me.That exposure shaped my future and opened up a world of possibilities that I might not have otherwise known or understood were possible for me to also achieve. I was starting to see myself in the world.
I remember a college peer explaining that they could probably never introduce me to their parents because the parents only knew of Black people from TV and would find me an unacceptable friend for that reason alone. Some people, unfortunately, consider the study of Black History as divisive or unnecessary. Perhaps, I am naive and this subject has always been contentious in our country - even our world. However, I appreciate the opportunity that Black History Month brings each year for us to see ourselves, although I wish it weren’t a special event. I appreciate the opportunity for others to see us as well. I appreciate that there is a time set aside to (hopefully) take the time to understand what Blackness now represents - the community, the pride, the struggles, the successes, the failures, the triumphs and travails, the wins and losses. We are a people who have continuously overcome obstacles and managed to thrive and contribute to this society in tremendous ways, even in the face of horrendous opposition.
Too often, the historical narrative of Black people in our country is reduced to a simplistic explanation that “Black people were brought from Africa as slaves and now they’re free and everything is fine.” As a student and as an educator, I have witnessed the dismissiveness of the curriculums firsthand and know that in many cases, learning any more than that requires taking an elective course or engaging in study independently. There is so much more to our entire story. It can be deeply painful to consider the ugly truths of our past as a nation. I can understand that much of it seems impossible to even attempt to reconcile and that glossing over the difficult aspects is an easier option. However, I appreciate that Black History Month is one opportunity to explore who we are, where we’ve come from, and in turn wrestle with the complex notion that all of our stories are intricately and marvelously interwoven."
Check out Gold + Water Co on their website and on Instagram. We also have a Maker of the Month feature for them if you want to read more!
At Bramble Berry Handcraft Provisions, we’re thankful and honored to have such talented Black makers in our community. We hope you’ll help us celebrate them!
